Into The Team (17 page)

“You’re too good for me.” Todd sighed.

“Do you give in?”

Seeing that goading look, Todd drew in a breath and shook his head.

“I never give in,” he told him and searched the board for a way out. His queen was in a handy spot to take Daryl’s, but if he did, he’d lose her to a pawn. Luckily, his surviving knight was able to slot between his king and Daryl’s battling queen.

He’d only had time to get a forkful of steak to his lips when Daryl took his knight with the queen, putting her right next to his king. Stupid move! Todd can just take it surely.

“Checkmate.” Daryl sat back, his lips twisting as if forcing back a grin.

Todd stopped chewing and gazed at the board. If he took the queen he would be…

“You clever bastard.” He shook his head on seeing Daryl’s knight had the queen covered and there was nowhere else to go for his king. He couldn’t even take the queen with his rook – it would open a path between his king and Daryl’s bishop. He reached out and shook Daryl’s hand. “Maybe I should start playing more often.”

“Anytime.” Daryl laughed.

They finished their meal and discussed the other lads on the team. Todd was curious to know what Daryl thought of them and was counting on him being more honest, now they were alone.

“Who’s the best player?” he asked.

Daryl thought for a few seconds. “Me, of course.” He grinned then turned serious. “Nah, based on number of goals and consistency in play I’d say Sean Thompson. If it weren’t for him we’d have lost points at the end of last season.”

Todd knew Sean had scored the most over his career. But it wasn’t just about scoring. “Would he have put those goals in without Jason?”

“I see what you’re saying, but if Jason wasn’t there it would have been someone else setting them up with him.”

“But don’t you think those two have some magic together?”

Daryl nodded.

“They have something, that’s for sure. I don’t know if it’s down to some special chemistry between them in particular, because whenever Jason’s been injured Sean plays just as well. You remember that goal he scored at Wembley last year? When we were level, one goal all between us and Eastend United?”

Todd nodded.

“He took possession at the centerline,” Daryl went on with wonder in his eyes. “And he headed straight for goal, it was like thirty seconds to full time, so he had to just go for it, and we were all at our end defending the penalty box so he couldn’t pass to anyone. He got through seven of their players, four of them said to be the best defenders in the country, before smashing it in the net, giving us the FA Cup.”

Todd remembered that goal; it had people talking for days, and had been replayed on every news program and sports show for the next month or so. He understood what Daryl was saying, some players do have that solo magic when it matters.

“So you don’t buy into this idea of the boss’s?” he asked. “The one about partnering?”

Daryl frowned and nodded. “I do, and I tried partnering with Eduardo Manila for a while, but we didn’t click. Anyway, a true footballer can play without being partnered.”

The answer surprised Todd, and it made him wonder if Daryl was a bit of a loner, or deep down a cocky individual who thought he was better than any team. Todd knew, from his experience as captain with the Blackmoor Pits, that it wasn’t always easy to get the best out of your fellow players, no matter how good the individual. Unlike Sean Thompson, who fired that winning goal, most players, if they didn’t have someone to pass to, would lose their balls.

“An individual player can’t make a team though.”

“No,” Daryl agreed. “But he can take possession and get through the challenges to reach goal. And sometimes that’s all a team needs. Don’t get me wrong. I am for the team, but I think some players have magic with or without their partner on the pitch.”

“Like you?” Todd asked. He tried to say that in a way that wouldn’t sound like he was confronting the guy.

It didn’t work.

“You reckon I’m out for number one don’t you?” Daryl grinned.

“I don’t know,” Todd said. “You just stand out to me because you’re quiet compared to the other guys.”

“Maybe the other guys are too loud,” he said. “But in answer to your question, I wasn’t saying I was a player who has magic with or without a partner.” He looked at Todd sincerely. “We were talking about Sean Thompson. I’d say he has that magic with or without Jason.”

Todd gazed at his blue eyes, so sure of themselves, and he wondered if Daryl really had been thinking of Sean. He was beginning to think Daryl possessed an elevated regard, maybe not a huge amount, but enough to give him the confidence to stand out on his own. With his looks and his ability, and years ahead of him, Daryl must feel cocky, even if only a little.

“How do you see the future of the team?”

Daryl rearranged the chess pieces to set up another game. “Pretty much the same as it is now for a while. But in a few years some of the older players will be phased out. Jason will probably become more of a training coach; I’ve heard him talk about taking over from Wayne as the reserves coach.”

“Are you hoping to become center forward?”

Daryl smiled a subtle one. “Who isn’t? I know Eduardo is. But I reckon Wayne and Craig will take over from Sean and Jason pretty soon.”

“What about Swifty?”

Daryl shook his head, his eyes serious. “Don’t go talking about this,” he said. “Because it’s something we don’t speak of. He’s on his way out; I reckon this will be his last season.”

“Why?”

“He’s been drinking a lot in recent months. His wife is pretty demanding, and he seems to have lost the enthusiasm he used to have. The boss isn’t too pleased with him.”

Todd nodded slowly and tried to prevent his thoughts from showing. If Swifty goes, it would create an opening in midfield, someone from the reserves may have to fill it.

“What about Eduardo? Do you think he’ll stay with the club?”

“He’s consistent, doesn’t drink much, and trains seriously, so I reckon he’s got a good five years in him at least. But he’s had a lot of interest from the Spanish clubs, and I reckon he wants to go back there.”

“Why didn’t you click with Eduardo?”

Daryl opened a new game by moving his king’s pawn forward. “It wasn’t anything bad. We get on just like the rest of the lads get on. I just didn’t want to…”

“Get too close?”

Daryl nodded, his eyes giving the knowing glance. “I don’t have anything against all that; I just think it’s more important how well you work on the pitch than off it.”

“So you don’t…”

“I have done.” Daryl saved him from saying it. “We’ve all jerked off together. But, I don’t know, it’s kind of animal-like behavior. Perhaps I’m just not as horny as the rest of them.”

Todd laughed.

“I was surprised by it all.”

“I bet you were.” Daryl nodded. “When I first joined the team I was really young and for the first few months I had no idea it was happening. But one day after a shower, I walked in on Wayne and Craig in the sauna.”

Todd laughed again.

“What happened? What were they doing?”

Daryl grinned, shaking his head.

“They were giving each other a tug. At first I thought I was seeing things, you know, it’s a bit dark in there. But when I realized what they were doing, I said sorry and left.” He giggled like a teenager. “For days I didn’t say anything, then Wayne told me they were just relieving tension after the match.”

Todd giggled like a teenager now.

“How long was it until…?”

“I ended up in the bath one night with Sean Thompson and he gave me a rub.” His eyes signaled to his crotch. “It was pretty hot, but I thought it was a bit too personal. Anyway, I went through a phase where I’d get horny every time we showered together.” He shook his head as if remembering, and turned serious again. “But I don’t think I’ve found someone I can pair with so intimately yet.”

Todd saw a slight confusion in his eyes, and he could tell the guy didn’t like the intimate stuff. He figured Daryl was one hundred percent straight.

“You were seeing that model from London weren’t you?”

Daryl frowned straight away.

“Helena Porter?”

Todd nodded.

“Hmmm, we sort of....” Daryl shook his head. “We got photographed a few times together, and I met up with her a few times and we screwed around for a bit. But it didn’t go far. The trashy magazines loved to go on about us, but you can’t take what they say seriously. Me and Helena, we’re sort of friends now, she likes the publicity of being seen with a footballer.” He nodded at the board. “Anyway, let’s see if you’ve improved.”

They embarked on another game and Todd relaxed into it, glad to be getting along easily with Daryl.

“Do your parents come to the matches?” he asked.

Daryl shook his head.

“They watch on TV, I don’t think they like all the noise and the crowds. They’re pretty old now. They were in their late thirties when I was born.”

Todd smiled while watching him analyze the board.

“My parents were the opposite. They were in their late teens when they had me. My father was only twenty eight when he died.”

Daryl stopped eyeing the chessboard and looked up at him, his eyes showing a slight unease.

“How did he die?” he asked softly.

Todd took a deep breath. He didn’t mind talking about it, in fact he felt at ease with Daryl, enough to feel he could share it. “He was on a night out with two mates, and apparently they all got drunk in this shady pub in Blackmoor. I was only ten years old, and I didn’t understand why someone could go out to the pub and not come back again.”

“Shit,” Daryl said. “What happened?”

“Some other blokes in the pub got into an argument with him and his mates. They ended up fighting, and others in the pub got involved. Anyway, during the scrap, someone glassed my dad in the neck. He bled to death before the ambulance arrived.”

For a long time Daryl looked at him with shock in his eyes. Todd could tell he didn’t know what to say. “Stupid, violent men,” he muttered.

Daryl slowly nodded, his eyes gazing down as if understanding the comment.

“Violence between men can be the ugliest thing you’ll see in this life,” he said. “I saw loads of it whilst growing up and got a few good smacks myself. By the time I was seven I realized that I had to either learn how to fight tough, or learn how to avoid it. I learnt how to avoid it and got stuck into football.”

Todd nodded, his mind now thinking of that night when his father hugged him tightly before heading out. He remembered Chaz Mullins, one of the guys his father was out with that night, telling him after the funeral that all that evening while they were out drinking, his father spoke about nothing but Todd, telling them what a star he’d been in that football tournament, and that he was destined to play professionally. Those words never failed to make Todd smile whenever he thought of them. Even if Chaz had made those words up, which Todd didn’t think he did because he’d said the same thing a few times over the years, it offered Todd some consolation knowing that his father spent his last few hours thinking about him.

Fingers stroked softly against his cheek and he looked up to see Daryl giving him a delicate smile. “I hope I didn’t make you talk about something difficult,” he said.

Todd shook his head, dismissed the concern.

“It’s no big deal now,” he said. “But I’ll tell you something. It taught me that beer and pubs and loud mouthed men are a no good combination. And I think that’s what made me focus so much on playing football rather than spending my time drinking with mates.” He smiled away the moment and nodded to the chessboard. “Anyway, let’s focus on this game.”

Daryl gave a slow wink, and they both went quiet again while gazing at the board.

Todd felt surprisingly good after that brief talk and began to see Daryl as a proper mate, rather than someone he had to forge a bond with. The idea they might end up getting intimate was far from his mind.

Saturday’s game at home had been a winner. The Reds beat the away team by four goals to nil and the boss sparkled with confidence at full time, seeming to think he had this year’s title in the bag. After their main rivals for the top spot lost at home to a middle table club, the Reds were four points clear.

It was approaching eleven PM and Todd was lying down on the hotel room bed with Cherrie on top, riding him slowly towards climax.

He’d had a great week. Kieran and he were bonding pretty well, playing together like they’d been at it for years. The Irish defender wasn’t bashful about getting hot and horny and they’d had fun on Friday afternoon in the showers.

Daryl, on the other hand, was becoming more interesting on an intellectual level. The guy was definitely a thinker and not the dumb looker Todd had thought him to be at first. On Thursday night he’d lost his third game of chess to Daryl, which made Todd frustrated but admiring of the guy’s skills. That night, when it had got late, and they were both yawning and finding it difficult to keep their eyes open, Daryl suggested that Todd stay over, and they ended up sleeping together like two old mates in Daryl’s bed.

As Cherrie wriggled on top of him, he gazed at her, wondering what she would make of this.

“Out of Kieran Lewis and Daryl Atkins, which one would you shag?” he asked, knowing what she’d say.

For a moment she stopped her movement and looked down on him with a hint of surprise. “Are you trying to make me orgasm?” she asked with a subtle pout.

Todd stroked her thighs. “You mean you’re not already?” He chuckled. “I’m just wondering which one you’d be more into.”

She carried on riding him.

“I would have said Daryl Atkins straight away a few weeks back,” she said. “He’s hot as fuck on those photographs. But since meeting him, I don’t know, he’s not how I’d imagined.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something doesn’t fit. I suppose I could have just been expecting too much, but he came across as too polite, almost reserved.”

Todd thought about it. He was polite, and yeah, the lads thought he was reserved.

“Kieran doesn’t look that hot in the photos I’ve seen,” she said. “But in person he’s quite horny. So I reckon maybe him.”

“What is it that makes him horny?”

Cherrie stopped again and frowned at him.

“Why are you asking this? Are you getting insecure of something?”

He was, sort of. But perhaps not in the way she might be thinking. All day Todd had watched those two players from the terrace, seeing how they played together. The swift and natural passes they’d made to each other indicated years of knowing the other’s moves, and he’d found himself wondering if they’d ever gotten hot with each other in the past. To his surprise, the thought had put pressure in his pants, and as the match had gone on, images of the two players naked with each other, pressing bodies and cocks together, had lit up his mind.

“I was just wondering how sexy you thought they were.”

She gave him a soft smile. “They are both sexy, but don’t worry babe, you are just as sexy.”

He grinned and began to thrust into her. As she moaned he began to imagine Kieran behind her, his cock slipping in alongside Todd’s. He imagined Daryl there too. The three of them taking turns at Cherrie’s slit. The thought made his cock stiffen more and the squeals coming from Cherrie told him she felt it.

The climax began, and Jason and Sean slipped into his fantasy. The climax achieved.

“Is he full of himself?” Cherrie asked when they were settled in the bed and his arms were wrapped around her.

“Who?”

“Daryl Atkins.”

“No. He’s a nice guy, just quiet with people. He’s sensitive.”

“Is he?” She turned her head slightly towards him. “That is so sweet.” She turned back and he felt her huddling herself into the pillow. “I think I’d go for him then. What about Kieran Lewis? Is he sensitive?”

Todd smiled. “Not really. He’s more of a typical lad.”

“You know,” she said. “It’s funny you’ve been asking me this because the other day at work, me and the girls had an email vote on who we thought the hottest Reds player is. Daryl came second.”

“Who came first?”

“Eduardo Manila.”

“I thought you said all girls fancied Daryl.”

“Most do, but only because he’s been photographed for those underwear adverts.”

“So what is it about Eduardo that they like?”

“He’s got the typical Spanish eyes, deep and dark. And he’s tall, and he’s handsome. A guy having those features is like a girl being blonde with big tits.”

“Where did I come in this vote?”

“You weren’t in it I’m afraid. We only listed the first team players.”

“Who was third?”

“Sean Thompson, fourth was Jason Collier, fifth was Wayne Maxwell.”

“What is it about Wayne that girls like?”

“He’s the kind of guy that is sexy but casual about it. Someone you could feel comfortable with. He looks like he’d be loyal.”

Todd recognized her description. Wayne had a strong loyalty about him, and on that first day when he met the guy, he’d felt secure with him.

“What do they like about Jason Collier?”

“He’s got the mature, rugged look. It’s true that men look better in their thirties than in their twenties. For women it’s usually the opposite.”

“Where did Kieran come on this list?”

“I think he was eighth or ninth, behind Josh McKenzie and Leo Cox.”

For a moment Todd felt sorry for Kieran and wondered where he’d put him on the list. It was hard to say. He wasn’t sure he’d put Eduardo first, although he had noticed the guy’s features. He had that urgent, healthy eyed look on the field, and with his naturally dark skin tone, his muscles appeared more defined.

He began to think about him as he dozed off, wondering if he should make a move to train with him. He didn’t remember reaching a conclusion.

Back at the house on Sunday night, the lads sweated lazily in the sauna. Everyone looked worn out and in need of sleep, and Todd felt it too. He and Cherrie had fucked twice between waking up and checking out.

“How’s the training with Kieran?” Trent asked, a half-smile on his face as he wiped sweat from his stomach and chest.

Todd returned that half-smile. “I think we’ve mastered each other.”

A few lazy chuckles echoed around the room.

“You were at Daryl’s flat this week,” Gavin commented. “Did you stay over?”

Todd nodded.

A few eyes looked at each other before resting back on him.

“So?” Gavin asked.

“So what?” Todd frowned. “We had a few games of chess and it got late, so I slept there.”

“Chess?” Brad raised his eyebrows. “Is that all you did with him?”

Todd told him it was.

“He’s too good even for you?” Gavin sat back.

“He’s not like what you think,” Todd said. “He’s a cool guy, has a lot going on upstairs.”

“I reckon he’s got too cocky after being the youngest player to go out on that pitch,” Trent said. “He’s younger than most of us lot and yet he’s done three years already on the first team.”

“We’ll get our chance next Wednesday,” Gavin said.

“Has anyone heard what the line-up is yet?” Brad looked around for an answer.

“I reckon Sean, Jason, Eduardo, and Swifty will be off,” Trent said. “Wayne and Craig will be center forwards. Daryl, Kieran, Leo, and Josh will be midfield, and four of us in defense.”

“So three of us will be on the bench,” Todd concluded.

“You should think seriously about who you’ll partner with,” Gavin said to Todd. “Try to get someone before next Wednesday. The boss will be more confident about putting you on if you’ve bonded.”

“Don’t rush him.” Luke sat forward. “He’s got to feel comfortable with it.”

They went quiet for a moment and Todd began to think if he should make more efforts this week. Luke leaned into him.

“It looks like either Kieran or Daryl doesn’t it?”

Todd nodded.

“And from what you’ve said, it seems you’ve jumped straight in with Kieran.” Luke gave him a vague calculating look. “Remember the saying ‘fools rush in’.”

“Yeah, I know what you’re saying. But Kieran and me hit it off well. I feel comfortable with him.” Todd remembered that first day of training; they’d slotted together seamlessly. And Kieran was at ease with him in the sauna. The way he pushed his cock beneath his ass crack as he was about to blow made Todd horny just thinking about it. He wondered if he could feel as comfortable in the same situation with Daryl.

Daryl had a good butt, Todd had seen it many times in the locker room, and the other night, whilst staying over at Daryl’s flat, sleeping next to him, he remembered wanting to put his hand on it for just a brief moment, give it a horse playing grab or slap.

“What do you think of Daryl?” he asked Luke.

Luke pursed his lips.

“I reckon he’s playing it cool. He’s sussing you out before getting closer.” He narrowed his eyes. “Those chess games may have been a way for him to gauge your strategic thinking. And sleeping in his bed may have been a way to get you thinking of intimacy. Maybe he was waiting for you to make a move.”

“I don’t think so,” Todd said. “I reckon he’s not into it.”

“Maybe not,” Luke shrugged. “But he knows he has to keep you close. By showing you his apartment he was introducing you to his home life. He wanted you away from the club, away from anything to do with football. I reckon he’s crafty, a bit of a dark horse. Sometimes it’s those guys who end up winning.”

“So you reckon he’d be a better bet than Kieran?”

“I don’t know for sure. But with regard to success on the pitch, I think Daryl’s got more on Kieran.”

Todd glanced around; all faces were on them, as if trying to pick up on the conversation.

“Have any of you lot been in a situation with Daryl?” he asked. “Got closer to him off the pitch?”

“I’ve been alone a few times with him,” Trent said. “He comes across as a bit too controlled. He’s got issues about letting himself go.”

“I’ve played around with him,” Brad said. “He seemed pretty cool with it. But I suppose he is a bit of a loner when it comes to that.”

“Trust your instinct,” Trent advised. “Whoever you want to be closest to on the pitch, is the one you should focus on.”

Heads nodded.

That night in bed, Todd thought about what the lads had said to him. Kieran was certainly the easy choice. They had the intimacy stuff out of the way, they worked great on the pitch together, and several times last week while playing, he’d looked out for Kieran’s feet whenever he got hold of the ball. Perhaps that meant something.

But Todd was curious about Daryl. If the guy was calculating, as Luke thought, that could make him a strong ally on a mental level. Todd was impressed with his chess skills, and the openness he displayed in discussing emotional stuff. And unlike Kieran, Daryl appeared to have criteria that needed satisfying before he’d commit to anything. That made him more interesting, and in a way, it made him more worthy.

He groaned and turned onto his side. He hated this situation. Both guys had their merits, and he got the unwanted feeling that he may be letting one down by choosing the other.